Warner Reinforces No. 1 Ranking

VOLUSIA SPORTS

The Eagles Defeated Rival Father Lopez, Gaining Momentum For The Softball Playoffs.

April 10, 2002|By Buddy Collings, Sentinel Staff Writer

SOUTH DAYTONA -- The pressure was on when Warner Christian's girls softball returned from spring break last week.

Welcoming the Eagles back from days at the beach was the first No. 1 state ranking in Coach Deb Wingard's 24 seasons as softball coach and a showdown with the nemesis Warner has rarely beaten, Volusia private-school rival Father Lopez.

It was enough to rattle even a team loaded with savvy seniors. But it wasn't enough to even faze the team Wingard has molded into a state playoff contender.

The Eagles let an older Lopez team show the nerves, and took advantage of 10 Green Wave errors in a 10-7 victory. The win upped Warner's record to 15-1 and puts the Eagles in position to carry the No. 1, Class A ranking in the Florida Sports Writers poll into the playoffs, which begin in two weeks.

"The majority of my kids are rookies. They don't get caught up in that," Wingard said of the poll. Then she chuckled nervously. Like most coaches, Wingard isn't enamored with a No. 1 ranking. It's a bull's eye for opponents, a target that can be a weight to carry around.

But the poll served to spur on, rather than stifle, her young team against Lopez.

"It made me want to work even harder," said Jo Jo Shields, an eighth-grade catcher who led the Eagles with a three-for-four batting performance.

When the poll was announced, Wingard warned her players that the rankings are far from a perfect barometer of what could happen in the playoffs.

"I think they take it by the record, and a lot of teams play harder [schedules] than we do," said Amanda Dove, a sophomore infielder. "It still makes me proud."

The Eagles took advantage of 10 Lopez errors, built a 10-4 lead going into the last inning, and held on with the tying run at the plate when sophomore center fielder Amy Sharp made a diving catch to end the ballgame at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

Last year, Warner won 19 games and advanced to the elite eight of the small-classification playoffs. But the end of the road was a 10-0 loss against Central Florida Christian, the eventual state champion, and its senior All-State pitcher, Leah Barth.

This year, Warner has the ace up its sleeve. Felicia Thomas, a 5-foot, 9-inch sophomore right-hander, transferred to the private school from Atlantic High and has flourished. Thomas surrendered 11 hits to Lopez, but struck out 12. She throws hard and has exhibited winning control.

"You can catch up with velocity, but she's got a lot of movement too," said Father Lopez Coach Mike Utter. "With that pitching in place, they've got a chance to play with anyone in Class A."

Warner's only loss was against St. Joseph's Academy of St. Augustine, and the Eagles came back to avenge that defeat.

The Eagles started one senior, first baseman Tracie Currie, against Lopez. She was alongside of one junior, five sophomores, one eighth-grader and a seventh-grade center fielder, Brittany Burgin.

"Thank you Lord for the off-season ball and club ball," Wingard said. "I've got a nucleus of four girls who play travel ball. They're encouraging to the ones who don't."

Warner has only four more regular-season games, starting with a Thursday afternoon home game against Class 5A Mainland.